Typically, small broadband routers for home use, such as Linksys routers, can be configured to connect to an ISP using a DSL or cable modem. In most cases, SOHO routers are set to acquire an IPv4 address automatically from the ISP.
For example, the figure shows the default WAN setup page for a Linksys EA6500 router. Notice that the Internet connection type is set to Automatic Configuration - DHCP. This means that when the router is connected to a cable modem; for example, it is a DHCPv4 client and requests an IPv4 address from the ISP.
Note: The MAC Address Clone feature uses a specified address as the source MAC address on the ISP facing interface of the router. Many ISPs assign IPv4 addresses based on the MAC address of the device during the initial installation. When a different device, such as a SOHO router is connected to the ISP, the ISP may require that the MAC address of the original device be configured on the WAN interface.